1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to networking, and more particularly, to providing wireless network access on personal networks.
2. Description of Background Art
Wireless networking technology or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) follows the IEEE 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi uses unlicensed radio spectrum and, as a result, allows very low cost wireless data networks to be implemented. The growth of Wi-Fi has been substantial in recent years, with millions of private networks deployed in homes and businesses, and hundreds of thousands public networks, know as “hotspots”, having been deployed. Analysts also predict that by 2010 there may be around one billion computing devices deployed that can utilize these Wi-Fi networks.
Recently a new paradigm in Internet usage has emerged where groups of people congregate on websites based on common interests or goals, and as a result, create virtual online communities. In most cases, members of such online communities will usually choose or pre-approve other members before they are allowed to join the community or sub-community on the web site. This type of website is referred to as a “social networking” site. An example of a social networking site is. MySpace, which gives users the ability to create groups that share common interests or affiliations, upload videos, and hold discussions in forums. Other examples of such sites are Facebook and LinkedIn. This trend of new websites is often referred to as “Web 2.0”.
For some time, most Internet messaging (IM) services have offered a concept of “buddy lists”, where an IM user pre-approves other IM users they have chosen to communicate with prior to adding them to their own personal buddy list. This ensures that only a user's “buddies” can initiate chat sessions or Internet phone sessions with the user.
Recently, the growth of home Wi-Fi networks has been substantial. Millions of home users have seen the advantage of enabling a home network without wires. However, security issues become prevalent since many home networks are left open (i.e., with no form of encryption or authentication) allowing anyone to access the user's home network. As home Wi-Fi users have become more educated, more and more users now utilize one of several 802.11 based security standards, typically WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) or WPA (Wireless Protected Access). While these standards offer protection for the user's home network, they prevent any use of the network by friends or other visitors to the user's home without going through complex network setup. Even if this network setup is performed, it may not be easy to revoke access at a later date.
Typically, Wi-Fi networks in homes, businesses, and hotspots are identified by a human readable name called a SSID (Service Set Identifier). An example of the SSID may be “My Home Network.” In addition to the SSID, when a secure Wi-Fi network is first connected, various security parameters need to be entered to configure either the WEP or WPA (or other) security schemes. Most computers and devices that can access Wi-Fi networks store the combination of SSID and security information (and other network information) so that this information does not have to be entered next time the device attempts to connect to the network. This combination of information is known as a Wi-Fi or network profile.
Therefore, there is a need for social wireless networking capability that may be used to apply the social networking concept to one or more private/personal Wi-Fi networks that can be shared by a social group.